Excited for your kids to go back to school but dreading the task of packing their lunch box? Packing a healthy lunch can be quick and easy once you master the elements of a balanced meal. As long as you have the basic groups represented, you can mix and match to quickly put together healthy lunches for your kiddos – and for yourself!

Black bean soup with added veggies (such as carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower—puree after cooking and nobody has to know they’re there!) and a dollop of salsa packed in an insulated thermos (this model keeps my daughter’s lunch warm all day), with a few whole-grain crackers (such as Triscuits or Kashi)

Fruit and yogurt parfait: In a jar, layer plain non-fat Greek yogurt with berries and low-fat granola or whole-grain cereal and chopped walnuts. Do your kids balk at plain yogurt? Try mixing a little flavored yogurt with the plain to reduce the amount of added sugar they’re consuming.

Fruit “sushi:” Spread almond or peanut butter on a whole-wheat tortilla, followed by julienned bananas, apples, strawberries or any other fruit your kids enjoy. Roll up and slice into sushi-style “rolls.”

Set up a lunch station in the evening and let the kids create their own “lunchables”-type meal for the next day:

]]>http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2016/08/29/healthy-lunches-for-the-whole-family/feed/2Is rice cereal safe for your child?http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2016/05/06/is-rice-cereal-safe-for-your-child/
http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2016/05/06/is-rice-cereal-safe-for-your-child/#commentsFri, 06 May 2016 23:42:01 +0000http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/?p=6124Read More]]>A study conducted by researchers at Dartmouth published in JAMA Pediatrics found that infants who consume increased amounts of rice cereals and foods containing rice have higher levels of urinary arsenic. Arsenic exposure is associated with an increased risk of neurocognitive problems in children.

In light of these recent findings, what are parents to think?The FDA has just proposed new guidelines on the allowable amounts of arsenic in rice cereal that is parallel to the level set by the European Commission (EC) for rice intended for the production of food for infants and young children. (The EC standard concerns the rice itself; the FDA’s proposed guidance sets a draft level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal.) FDA testing found that the majority of infant rice cereal currently on the market either meets, or is close to, the proposed action level.

Why is rice higher in arsenic than other grains?

Arsenic is present naturally in soil and water, and fertilizers and pesticides contribute additional amounts. As rice plants grow, they take up arsenic more readily than other crops. A rice labeled as organic does not guarantee a low level of arsenic due to these natural sources.

What should parents feed their infants and children?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for about six months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced. When a child is around six months, infant cereals can be gradually introduced. Rice cereal fortified with iron is a good source of nutrients, but it shouldn’t be the only source, and does not need to be the first source. Oat, barley and multigrain cereals are other options.

The FDA is also advising pregnant women to consume a variety of grains, in order to limit potential arsenic exposure to the developing fetus. Washing the rice prior to cooking also helps decrease the levels of arsenic, although this may also decrease the amounts of nutrients.

]]>http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2016/05/06/is-rice-cereal-safe-for-your-child/feed/0Dietary treatments for epilepsy: Which diet is the right fit for your child?http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2015/09/09/dietary-treatments-for-epilepsy-which-diet-is-the-right-fit-for-your-child/
http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2015/09/09/dietary-treatments-for-epilepsy-which-diet-is-the-right-fit-for-your-child/#commentsWed, 09 Sep 2015 23:30:14 +0000http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/?p=5688Read More]]>Jane Riebold, M.S., R.D. ’15, is a newly-minted alumna of the Graduate Programs in Human Nutrition in the OHSU School of Medicine. Jane will be attending the prestigious Boston Children’s Hospital Pediatric Clinical Nutrition Fellowship to complete further training in nutritional treatments for childhood disease. Below, she shares a brief guide to the different types of dietary therapy for epilepsy.

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There are about 750,000 children in the United States who are living with epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes seizures. While antiepileptic drugs exist, dietary treatments for epilepsy can effectively reduce seizure frequency and severity for some children. Dietary treatment may also give some children good seizure control with a reduced dosage or number of antiepileptic drugs. Dietary therapies for epilepsy are very high in fat and low in carbohydrate, and should only be followed under the supervision of a pediatric neurologist and dietitian. The low-glycemic index diet, the modified Atkins diet and the classic ketogenic diet are three different therapeutic diets that a pediatric neurologist and dietitian may discuss as options for your child.

The low-glycemic index diet is the least restrictive type of dietary therapy for epilepsy. Successful low-glycemic index diet therapy requires parents to be able to track the amount of carbohydrate (and what kinds of foods) their child eats each day. Parents must limit the grams of carbohydrate contained in their child’s food to about 40-60 grams per day, or as instructed by the dietitian. Foods with a low glycemic index (≤50) are preferred. Glycemic index measures the amount that a certain food raises a person’s blood sugar when compared to pure glucose, which has a glycemic index of 100. For example, a small apple has a glycemic index of 40 and contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate.

The modified Atkins diet is more restrictive than the low-glycemic index diet because fewer grams of carbohydrate are allowed per day. During modified Atkins therapy, parents will limit the grams of carbohydrate contained in their child’s food to about 10-20 grams per day as instructed by the dietitian. Any type of food containing carbohydrate is allowed if the grams of carbohydrate in the food fit within the daily allowance, and fats and protein are again encouraged. Modified Atkins is less restrictive than the classic ketogenic diet because parents must be able to track the amount of carbohydrate that their child eats each day but do not need to track their child’s intake of fat or protein.

The classic ketogenic diet is the strictest form of dietary therapy for epilepsy. The ketogenic diet is prescribed as a ratio of the grams of fat a child eats in a day compared to the total grams of protein and carbohydrate that a child eats in a day. The classic ketogenic diet typically provides 3-4 grams of fat for every 1 gram of protein and carbohydrate combined (for comparison, a modified Atkins diet could also be described as an approximate 1:1 ratio). While following the classic ketogenic diet, 87-90 percent of the energy that a child consumes from food each day is derived from fat. The classic ketogenic diet requires parents to track the amount of protein and fat, along with carbohydrate, that their child consumes each day. Accuracy is so important that all foods must be weighed on a gram scale before they are eaten so that the amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrate they contain can be correctly calculated. This can be very challenging and time consuming for parents, particularly if their child is a picky eater. A dietitian works closely with every child on this diet to provide recipes, educate the family, and ensure that all of the child’s nutritional needs are being met.

]]>http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2015/09/09/dietary-treatments-for-epilepsy-which-diet-is-the-right-fit-for-your-child/feed/2Summertime food tipshttp://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2015/05/18/summertime-food-tips/
http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2015/05/18/summertime-food-tips/#commentsTue, 19 May 2015 01:01:19 +0000http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/?p=5423Read More]]>For many children, summer break means lazy mornings and afternoon swims. But for others, summer brings grumbling bellies and the pain of hunger. It’s estimated that 15 percent of Oregon families are food insecure. In the U.S., it’s estimated that 16 million children do not have enough to eat each day, skip meals, eat watered-down food or go hungry. Summertime brings an added challenge for parents because many school-aged children no longer have access to free- or reduced-price breakfast and lunch, and money for food runs even lower each month.

Local school districts frequently sponsor a free summer lunch program, which is often held in local parks and playgrounds. Even smaller rural districts are following suit. This year, there are 600 sites throughout the state offering meals. A list of Portland programs can be found here, and programs in other parts of Oregon here.

The slower pace of summer may allow busy families to spend time growing, preparing or harvesting foods to help stretch their dollar. Beginning steps in helping the dollar go further is making a weekly meal plan, looking at grocery store ads and selecting foods that are in season. Preparing breakfast casseroles, hot cereal, salads, soups and pasta or rice dishes from scratch helps save money, and they’reoften more nutritious than pre-made meals or convenience foods. Involving school-aged children in menu planning and meal preparation helps them feel invested in the effort and more likely to try new foods.

Both WIC and SNAP allow families to use benefits at local farmers markets. Purchasing locally grown food that is in season offers up more nutrients and can be a festive event. The Sustainable Table is an easy-to-use website that lists in-season foods each month for each state and offers up nutrition information, cooking tips, links to recipes as well as the location of farmers markets.

Within the city of Portland, there are a number of community garden sites with plots available on a first come, first serve basis from March to June. You can learn more about the Community Gardens program here.

Some of my fondest memories as a kid were helping in our family garden and picking fresh green beans and corn an hour before dinner. Got a memory or suggestion you’d like to share? Leave a comment below!

]]>http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2015/05/18/summertime-food-tips/feed/0Let’s Get Healthy! Teaching children about healthy food choiceshttp://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2014/04/23/lets-get-healthy-teaching-children-about-healthy-food-choices/
http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/2014/04/23/lets-get-healthy-teaching-children-about-healthy-food-choices/#commentsWed, 23 Apr 2014 20:09:24 +0000http://www.ohsu.edu/blogs/doernbecher/?p=4213Read More]]>We’ve learned that good nutrition in early life is critical to children’s health as they grow up and as adults. There are simple steps you can take to help your children eat well:

Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains; your children will follow your example.

It turns out that genes aren’t a rigid blueprint for health. Our health is influenced by our genetics and epigenetics. Genetics refers to the DNA we get from our parents (our genome), while epigenetics describes the state of activity of our genes (our epigenome). The latter can be changed in our bodies by the things we are exposed to in the environment and the lifestyle choices that we make. It’s where nature meets nurture. Environmental stimuli, such as nutrition or stress, affect the activity of our genes and, consequently, our health. The effects can be passed down to offspring, shaping the health of future generations.

The Let’s Get Healthy! program at OHSU has developed an interactive game that helps kids, parents and teachers explore this brand new field of science. Tour three game levels about bees, mice and humans to learn about genetics and epigenetics.

In the fourth game level, create an avatar and twin-ize them. You’ll select your diet, sleep, air and stress levels to see how different your avatar and its twin become. Fast forward in time to see how your genomes remain the same, but your epigenomes become different. The game clearly demonstrates how our health can be changed by our everyday choices.

In addition to the game, the website has several printable handouts and tools that you’re welcome to use. Teachers, parents and others can also download free classroom lessons and activities about epigenetics.

By teaching our children about how the choices we make matter to our health, we can help make sure that they and their children grow up as healthy as possible.